[Listen] Manchester Orchestra - "Cope"

Manchester Orchestra are going to release their new album COPE in a few weeks and in anticipation of that CoS have premiered the title track, and it's absolutely huge. Screeching guitars and a lead riff that will surely tear the roof off many a venue this year make up the track. Andy's vocal range is once again utilised to piece together a perfect roller coaster of a track. Sewing together quiet and loud elements, the song that closes out the band's new album is one hell of a message of what you can expect upon release. 

Set for release on April 1st via Loma Vista Recordings/Favorite Gentlemen, the album was recorded completely in their home studio, built by the band themselves. For me, the album sees the Atlanta band returning to form and delivering a magical piece of their history that will be remembered long after they're gone. Turn it up loud and hit play below.

[Watch] Lily Allen - "Air Balloon" (Official Video)

I sat on writing this up until the official video came out for Lily Allen's latest single, "Air Balloon", because I was hoping it was going to provide some context, but can anyone out there please explain to me what the actual hell is going on here? Don't get me wrong, the song is insanely catchy, but in terms of depth, this couldn't be more of a polar opposite from her first single, "Hard Out Here". I love absolutely everything about this song until you actually pay attention to what she's singing about. One fo the things I've always appreciated about Allen's music was how quickly one is able to get on board with her. She's typically very straightfoward with what she has to say. However, when I receive the urge to put this song on, I feel uneasy throughout my moment of joyfilled pop bliss. It's like I'm being indoctrinated into some weird cult without my consent. The video (above) is an equally confusing joyride. She goes from aimlessly spinning and singing in a field with butterflies, to pawing on top of a cheetah, to floating around in space? Don't get me wrong, I would love to do all of these things, so maybe I'm just being jealous. I guess it's more that I feel left out because I thought I was on board with her willingness to make such a bold statement with her first single. With no announcement of an album release yet, though, I keep looking from "Hard Out Here", to "Air Ballon, and then to her other recent track on the Girls soundtrack, "L8 CMMR", wondering if she'll make it through this clear experimentational phase unscathed. She's definitely a different woman than she was when her sophmore album, It's Not Me, It's You was released in early 2009, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, for now, if you need me, I'll be over here "further researching" this song by playing it 10 times in a row. 

[Watch] St. Vincent - "Digital Witness" (Official Video)

St. Vincent's new self-titled album is set for release on February 25th via Loma Vista. The second track, the brass filled choppy number, "Digital Witness" has been given the official video treatment now and sees it matching up to the edgy and punchy dynamic of the song. Bold colours of green and yellow are strewn throughout by director Chino Moya and the sharp cuts and movements of the dancers/extras fit the audio well. Can we just have the album already?! I'm getting impatient. 

Bonus video: Did you know Annie Clark is rather good at football? The European kind, Soccer to you people in the US. After quitting at 12, which was actually when she got her first guitar, her energy was solely then focussed on music. Good thing for us, huh?

[Listen] Manchester Orchestra - "Top Notch"

In a year that is going to see some big albums being released, there's a handful that have me acting like a giddy little kid on his birthday. So, with that in mind, it makes me extremely happy to be posting this next bit of news. Manchester Orchestra have just announced a brand new album set for April 1st, and no this is not a joke. Titled, Cope, it seems that the band have gone back to a huge sounding and raw power that they became known for on Mean Everything To Nothing. Their last release, Simple Math, delivered a well rounded, more subtle approach, yet it seems they're going for something a little bigger with the new release. In a recent interview, Andy Hull stated the new record was recorded with them trying to capture their live energy and sound. Lead track "Top Notch" seems to have done just that with punchy and hugely heavier sounding introduction with Andy's signature vocal delivery cutting through the mix like knuckle duster to the face. Upon first hearing this the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. But hey, that's me. Judge for yourselves below and get excited if you like.

You can also grab the download for the cheap price of your email address. Treat yourself.

[Listen] Breton - "S Four"

Photo Credit: Kieran PharaohEarlier today, Breton unveiled a new song from their upcoming album, War Room Stories, due out on February 3rd. Of all of the tracks we've heard so far from the new album, "S Four" most appropriately showcases the growth that the band has seen since 2012's Other People's Problems. The band has clearly thought out which edges were the right ones to smooth out and which ones to keep jagged and sharp. Where "Got Well Soon" reminded us of the band that we've grown acquainted to was still capable of, "Envy"  and "S Four" (below) are demonstrative that you don't always have to sacrifice complexity for palatability, or vice versa. It's no small feat the way the band can weave their usual layered beats and instrumentation alongside the likes of orchestral movements and sounds as basic as knives scraping against the pavement (which finally explains that teaser clip from last year). It's executed in such a seemingly effortless fashion that it takes several careful listens to stop taking all of these details for granted. It took me until the third listen to hear the knives sample, for example. 

If you've got a hankering for more newer Breton songs, you can also grab their Force of Habit EP  that they released for their US tour (that unfortunately was rescheduled for later this year). 

Make sure you pre-order War Room Stories now, because that's what nice people do.

Breton On Tour

06/02/14 - West Rock, Cognac, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncognac
07/02/14 - Charada, Madrid, Spain
08/02/14 - Be Cool Club, Barcelona, Spain
09/02/14 - Le Bikini, Ramonville St Agne, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretontoulouse
10/02/14 - Rockstore, Montpellier, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonmontpellier 
11/02/14 - Ninkasi Kao, Lyon, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlyon
13/02/14 - Lanificio 159, Rome, Italy 
14/02/14 - Covo Club, Bologna, Italy 
15/02/14 - Magnolia, Milan, Italy 
17/02/14 - Komplex Klub, Zurich, Switzerland - http://tinyurl.com/bretonzurich
18/02/14 - Les Docks, Lausanne, Switzerland - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlausanne
19/02/14 - La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonstrasbourg
20/02/14 - MTC, Cologne, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncologne
21/02/14 - FIREWORKS! FESTIVAL 2014, Roubaix, France 
22/02/14 - La Nouvelle Vague, Saint-Malo, France
23/02/14 - Botanique, Brussels, Belguim - http://tinyurl.com/bretonbrussels
24/02/14 - Übel & Gefährlich, Hamburg, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretonhamburg
25/02/14 - BETA, Copenhagen, Denmark - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncopenhagen
26/02/14 - Privat Club, Berlin, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretonberlin
28/02/14 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands - http://tinyurl.com/bretonamsterdam

03/03/14 - The Louisiana, Bristol, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonbristol
04/03/14 - Soup Kitchen, Manchester, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonmanc
05/03/14 - Village Underground, London, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlondon
06/03/14 - La Cigale, Paris, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonparis
07/03/14 - Le 106, Rouen, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonrouen
08/03/14 - L'Echonova, Saint-Avé, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonvannes
20/03/14 - Treefort Music Fest 2014, Boise, ID, US

[Listen] St. Vincent - "Digital Witness"

What are you guys excited for in 2014? I'm excited for the return of Annie Clark and St. Vincent. Our first preview of her new self-titled album came as an early Christmas present in December and you can check it out here. This week she's offered up a funky, horn happy second track called "Digital Witness" which comes with some added little twangy guitar parts and building bass line too. The chorus then turns into a slow pulsating dance number that'll have you chicken necking 'til dawn. All in all it's got me pretty happy about what the new album will bring. See for yourselves below.

St. Vincent is out February 25th via Loma Vista.

[Watch] SKATERS - "Miss Teen Massachusetts" (Official Video)

New York's SKATERS offer up another taste of what's to come from their debut album MANHATTAN with "Miss Teen Massachusetts", showing that their love doesn't only lie in NYC. Declaring his love for a lady who just doesn't want to change her mind. Gotta feel for the guy. The track is raw, and to me, reminds me of another New York band, The Strokes with it's distorted vocals and distant drums. That's just me though. The video sees the band walking around a mental institute helping out some residents. Or at least it appears that way before it goes all Shutter Island on us. SPOILER ALERT! In case you missed it on the back end of last year, check out the bands lead single "Deadbolt" here.

SKATERS’s MANHATTAN is due out February 24th in the UK/25th in North America.

[Listen] Beck - "Love" (John Lennon Cover)

Gotta say, the internet, feeling pretty good that the first post of the new year is a Beck song! 

Even though this isn't from his upcoming album, Morning Phase, this is certainly help build the anticipation for me. The song is a John Lennon tune from the 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and will be on Starbucks' Sweetheart 2014 compilation, which you can grab on February 4th. Although the orginial is piano driven, the added depth and warmth from Beck's subtle guitar strums is really helping me fight of the bitter chill from the impending blizzard that's about to hit NYC. 

Although there isn't an official release date yet for Morning Phase, we know that his first album since 2008 is expected sometime to drop in February. 

So while you wait, here's something for you to "Love". Pun intended. You LOVE it. 

(via RollingStone)